Law Office of Matthew Konecky July 2017

STRIKING THE PERFECT BALANCE I grew up in the Midwest, in a small town near the border of Illinois and Iowa. My dad was an attorney with his own small practice. I watched him take cases and help people. He cared about his community, and he loved what he did. When he came home from work at the end of the day, he shared many interesting and inspiring stories.

Though my dad was an attorney — a line of work known for long hours and stressful days — he made it a point to spend time with his family. He wasn’t a workaholic. He didn’t spend all of his time at the office. He found a way to balance work and life. He gave his clients the attention they needed and deserved, and he gave his family the attention they needed and deserved. As I grew up, went to law school, and shaped my own career, my dad’s philosophy toward work and life stuck with me. That’s one of the reasons I made it a point to open my own firm and work for myself. This gave me the opportunity to have the balance I wanted, and it’s been wonderful for our family, just as it was for my family growing up. I also made it a point to open an office near my home. Though we have two locations — one in Palm Beach Gardens and one in Fort Lauderdale — I live near the office where I spend many of my working hours. This means I’m not wasting precious time in traffic. I can dedicate more time to clients, and I often can run home to have lunch with my family. There is one piece of technology that has made balancing work and life incredibly easy: the calendar. Most people use a calendar every day, but it’s sticking to it that makes all the difference. I can create a reasonable expectation of where I’m going to be on any given day, or at any hour, whether it’s with a client or with my family. For some attorneys, the “always on” lifestyle works. There are many attorneys and other professionals who enjoy being busy with work all the time. When you work late into the night six or seven days a week, this doesn’t leave a lot of time for much else, like family or time to de-stress. And, to that point, de-stressing is an important part of our lives.

practices yoga. We’ve found these to be effective outlets for stress. Plus, they help us stay in shape and feel great. In many respects, I’ve come to treat my health as I would an appointment with a client. That is, just as I make time for each and every client, I make time for my health. I’ve been practicing law on my own for over 13 years now, and I can say I have a lot to be proud of — from all of the hard-fought cases to my family. I feel like I have successfully struck a balance between work and making time for my family and myself, much like my dad did, and it feels great! — Matthew Konecky

Practicing law can be stressful, and as a family, we’ve prioritized our health. For example, I’m involved in jiujitsu, while my wife